September/ October 2004

September 1st, 2004

For those who cannot attend the AGM at York, edited versions of the Annual Reports are included in this issue.

EDITORIAL For those who cannot attend the AGM at York, edited versions of the Annual Reports are included in this issue.

Pax Christi, the official Catholic Peace organisation, continues to offer inspirational material for use in parishes, and it is through Pax Christi that we have Neil Cavers, an Ecumenical Accompanist, as our speaker at the AGM.

Michael Berg’s response to the killing of his son in Iraq mirrors that of Judea Pearl, the father of Daniel, the Wall Street Journal reporter who was killed in Pakistan. Judea has set up a foundation which brings journalists from Muslim countries to work in American newsrooms, sponsors cross-cultural programmes for young people and also supports Muslim/Jewish dialogue. He is also joining with Akbar Ahmed, another academic, to travel through the United States talking about their religions and the misunderstandings and tensions between them. Listening to others, not fighting, will surely help to reduce tensions and in time bring about greater understanding.

The Peace Pilgrimage in July brought small numbers but much benefit. The kind hospitality of St Hedda’s parish was greatly appreciated.

The final Commission meeting this year will be at St Francis of Assisi, Middlesbrough on Saturday 20 November, when Andy Welford, will be our speaker. Andy is a dairy farmer in the North York Moors who has spent a few years working in developing countries and is involved in development related NGOs. His talk is called “Food for Thought – a look at global food production and distribution.” Chris Dove

Note: the views expressed in this newsletter do not necessarily coincide with those of the Commission.

Chair’s Report

The Justice and Peace Commission seeks to be a presence within the Diocese and to become a focus for discussion, for the raising of awareness and a catalyst for practical action.

This year we were keen to make closer links with young people within the Diocese and to explore how we can work together. Students from St. Mary’s College, Hull hosted a memorable meeting in March with presentations on different aspects of Human Rights.

Asylum issues continue to be a major focus for our work. In conjunction with Church Action on Poverty we hosted a day at Teesside University entitled Asylum, Refuge and Community, where we were immersed in the richness and the pain of those who have come to live in our area.

The significance of the spiritual foundation for peace and justice work informed two of our meetings this year. Firstly, a morning with Tom Cullinan in November 2003 focusing on our experiences of the real world in the light of the gospel narratives and secondly our pilgrimage in July – a reflective journey to Egton Bridge from different starting points in the Diocese. We continue to search for new ways to reach people throughout the Diocese.

We report regularly in the Catholic Voice and circulation of our two-monthly Newsletter increases steadily. We seek to maintain close links with parishes and with local and national groups to enable us to become more effective.

Our field worker – Betty East – resigned in November 2003. She brought a wealth of experience to the job. We miss her and we wish to express our gratitude to her for her wisdom and commitment. We are looking at ways to build on her good work for the future of the Commission.

Barbara Hungin

Treasurer’s Report At our AGM in 2003, we had to paint a somewhat gloomy picture about our finances which were

diminishing in spite of our grant from CAFOD, and support from the diocese and individual donors.

Our financial year runs from 1st April to 31st March, so when our Fieldworker resigned for health reasons at the end of November, the budget for the Fieldworker’s salary was only two-thirds used. Although we felt the loss of our Fieldworker and regretted it, it has meant that our finances have stabilised.

What is now clear to us is that we are not in a position at present to employ a Fieldworker at a just salary and for a useful number of hours. Instead, members of the core group are endeavouring to put in more hours each month on a voluntary basis for which we will pay proper expenses. These consist of travel, postage and stationery for the most part. In addition, we must also pay for publicity, subscriptions, computer maintenance, attendance at some meetings, occasionally room hire and when appropriate, speaker’s expenses.

We are very appreciative indeed of the donations which have been given to the Commission in the course of this year. Most of these are given for the Newsletter which continues to reach every corner of the diocese thanks to the indefatigability of our Editor and helpers. We would also like to put on record our appreciation of the financial support maintained by the diocese and especially the personal support and encouragement of Bishop John.

A record of our income and expenditure for the last financial year is available for anyone who would like further details.

Nan Saeki

Diocesan Ethical Investment

There has been some progress to report this year in so far as the Trustees have been recommended to move out of Investment Trusts and into individual company stocks. This will mean that it will now be possible for future investments to be made according to the criteria of the Diocesan Ethical Investment Policy.

However this Policy has yet to be implemented. The Diocese has still to disinvest from those Trusts – the majority – which include in their holdings companies whose policies or activities do not conform to the criteria in the Policy. It has always been our argument that only by investing in individual company stocks, can the diocese be certain that their criteria have been met.

It is to be hoped that by next year we may be able to see more movement in the direction of full compliance with the Diocesan Ethical Policy as agreed by the Trustees in 2000. Chris Dove

Bridges not Walls

Pax Christi’s campaign “People of the Holy Land Need Bridges not Walls” – is an educational and political campaign challenging the separation wall in Israel. Pax Christi is encouraging churches and groups in the UK to learn more about the reality of the Israeli occupation of Palestine, using the separation wall as a focus. Pat Gaffney, General Secretary of Pax Christi said: “Many people will remember the impact and use of the Berlin Wall in the 20th Century and how people managed to bring this wall down. We now have to support international campaigns to bring down this Israeli wall that will deny 210,000 Palestinians, living in the area between the wall and Israel, access to social services, schools, places of worship and work”.

Another feature of Pax Christi’s Middle East work is its support for the World Council of Churches programme of Ecumenical Accompaniment in Israel and Palestine. This programme trains and sends volunteers to work for three months at a time in Israel or Palestine. Rosemary Read, vice-chair of Pax Christi is currently training for this programme. She will be posted there between September and December 2004.

Source: Pax Christi

Listening to the ‘Enemy’.

It is always uplifting to learn that not everyone believes returning violence for violence is a proper response. The father of Nick Berg, the US contractor beheaded by a group believed to be linked to Al-Qaida, wrote a remarkable and moving article which has much to say about the current tragic crisis and our response. This is a short edited version.

My son, Nick, was the kindest, gentlest human being I have ever known. He poured into me the strength I needed, and still need, to tell the world about him. George Bush, though a father himself, cannot feel my pain, or that of my family. Donald Rumsfeld said he took responsibility for the sexual abuse of Iraqi prisoners. How could he take that responsibility when there was no consequence? Nick took the consequence.

Even more than those murderers who took my son’s life, I can’t stand those who sit and make policies to end lives, American and Iraqi, and break the lives of the still living. Nick Berg was in Iraq to help the people without any expectation of personal gain.

So what were we to do when we in America were attacked on September 11? I say we should have done then what we never did before: stop speaking to the people we labelled our enemies and start listening to them. Stop making up rules by which others must live and then separate rules for ourselves. George Bush’s ineffective leadership has allowed a chain reaction of events that led to the unlawful detention of my son.

My son’s work goes on. Where there was one peacemaker before, now I see and have heard from thousands of peacemakers. Nick was a man who acted on his beliefs. We, the people of the world, now need to act on our beliefs. We are fed up with the lies. Yes, we are fed up with the suicide bombers, and with the failure of the Israelis and Palestinians to find a way to stop killing each other. We want world peace now. Many have offered to pray for Nick and my family. I appreciate their thoughts, but I ask them to include in their prayers a prayer for peace, and more, to demand peace now. Michael Berg

One World Week 17-24 October 2004 – Your Move!

This year the campaign has three themes:

Movements for change…. with emphasis on Trade, looking at issues behind the movements, the role of individuals, what we can do.

“Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.” St Francis of Assisi.

Movement of people worldwide …. looking more deeply into issues facing refugees and people seeking asylum, and into root causes of movement of people worldwide.

“O country and home; Never, never may I be without you… There is no sorrow above the loss of a native land.” Euripedes, Medea.

Moves to bring peace…. looking at the role of individuals and global institutions to bring peace between and within communities to both local and global conflict.

“A thought which does not result in an action is nothing much, and an action which does not proceed from a thought is nothing at all.”

Georges Bernanos.

Source: One World Week. PO Box 2555 Reading RG 1 4XW

Commission contacts

Barbara Hungin Chair 01642 784398

Sr Mary Walmsley CJ Secretary 01904 464917

Nan Saeki Treasurer 01904 783621

Chris Dove Editor 01947 825043

email: dove.whitby@ukgateway.net

Letters to Editor: 22 Blackburns Yard Whitby YO22 4DS

website:www.ayton.info/middlesbroughjp

York J & P welcome friends from Stockton…..

28th July was a warm and sunny day which fitted our mood as we busied ourselves preparing lunch for the 25 welcome visitors from numerous countries who came to visit York. The party ranged in age between grand-parent-age and less than one year old and included settled refugees as well as seekers of asylum whose appeal had been turned down. This made it all the more poignant as we tried to show the best York had to offer to the different groups. After the meal, we split into three groups, each with at least two members of our J & P. (We also left a Hall party washing up and preparing tea for our return.) One group, mostly younger members and some parents, went to Rowntrees Park; another, mainly teenagers, went to the Railway Museum and the largest group went to the Minster, the Shambles, the Museum Gardens and walked along the walls. It was interesting to hear one young moslem mother assuring her daughter it was more important to see the Minster than go and play on the swings in the park. We had a really great time and we hope they did too. We did a lot of walking in the heat and they all coped valiantly. We were left with great admiration for the indomitable spirit of many of them facing uncertain futures. There was no complaining but a very positive attitude of making the best of everything. Thank you, Kate, for bringing this lovely group of new friends to visit us. We look forward to the next time.” Peace Pilgrimage 2004

Nan

One person who took part in the Peace Pilgrimage wrote: “We really loved the pilgrimage and hope we can do something like that again. I found it really meaningful to pray in the different places about different things.”

The idea was that people should travel from different parts of the diocese, stopping at places which for them symbolised violence, and at others which spoke to them of peace. Then everyone was to converge at the presbytery in Egton Bridge, to share their experiences, join together in a liturgy and enjoy the hospitality of the local parishioners.

Unfortunately all did not quite go to plan. Sadly no-one was able to come from Hull, and the people from Middlesbrough and Yarm were seriously delayed by car trouble so that they missed the joint celebration and in some cases the tea too!

Those who came from Middlesbrough and Yarm had prayed at RAF Leeming and at Mount Grace. We were very happy that they brought Joseph and David, two asylum seekers from Stockton with them. The following is part of a poem this group said in the chapel at Mount Grace:

We hear sounds in the distance:

the vibration of human lives

the crackle of fear

and the murmur of distrust

the scramble for rice

and the tearing of garbage

the shuffle of withered limbs

and the sigh of rich tourists

the growl of empty bodies

and the splash of spent blood

the breaking of the bread and the gushing of the wine.

York brought the largest contingent, and they told us how they had been to Tyburn at Knavesmire, remembering both the savage treatment of Jews by Christians at Clifford’s Tower and the martyrdom of Protestants and Catholics. They also prayed about the closure of Terry’s chocolate factory and then proceeded to Lastingham. Here is one of their prayers:

You continue to call us to work for peace through prayer, through study and dialogue and through courageous action.

Give us the strength to be faithful to our vocations to be peacemakers.

Our world is broken and wounded by injustice, violence and indifference.

Alone, we would be overwhelmed by the enormous evils and many challenges that face us, but together, supported by your Spirit, we can do more than any one of us could dream or imagine.

The people from Whitby first went up to the moors and shared this reading with us:

At Goathland Moor.

This moor is beautiful, gently curving towards the horizon. The turf is springy and we can see tiny white flowers among the grass. The heather is just beginning to colour, a bright promise of what is to come.

Only a few footsteps and suddenly it’s there, a mile or so ahead, ugly, menacing, the monstrosity that is RAF Fylingdales. It’s bad enough that it desecrates a beautiful landscape, but far worse is what it stands for: a symbol of war, of power, of arrogance and greed, the very antithesis of peace.

Afterwards they went to pray in the small but beautiful Methodist Chapel in Upper Glaisdale.

We were delighted that Fr Peter Ryan and his generous parishioners stayed with us for the very ample tea and for our time of prayer together. Anthea

and a request….

This newsletter is supplied free but it costs money to produce especially for those who have it posted to them. If you find it of value, perhaps you would consider sending a donation to the Treasurer: Nan Saeki 55 Moorgate York YO24 4HP. It

would be very much appreciated.

Conflict resolution

If conflict arises from fear or envy of the other and a threat to our own group identity, then a faith which flows from God’s embrace of the world and a Trinitarian faith in which we realise our own deepest identity by loving and serving the other should have a crucial role to play in building the civilisation of love which God intends. We fall alone but are saved in our neighbour…

Persons grow to their full stature in Christ by embracing and not excluding the other. It is in the embrace that we discover our own deepest and truest selves.

Richard Chartres, Bishop of London

speaking at the Sant’Egidio interreligious gathering in Milan, and quoted in The Tablet.